League of Legends Arena Mode May changes

League of Legends Arena Mode has become a major fan-favorite with several players preferring it over the game’s staple mode of ARAM. However, the fact of the matter is that the mode isn’t exactly a permanent one and it continues to go away for months on end before returning with major changes being done to it.

The game mode is confirmed to make a return in May, and as is to be expected, it’ll be different than it was before. We’re here today to go through all of the changes the mode will be having this time it comes back, along with what the game’s developer studio, Riot Games, is planning to do with these updates.

So, without further ado, here are the changes being made to the League of Legends Arena game mode in May. If you want to play with some high-level players when the game mode comes back, we recommend you hire a professional-level player from Eloking to show you how it's done. You can even use the code “BoostToday” for an epic 20% discount.

About Arena Mode

Before we get into the changes made to Arena Mode, let's discuss a few things about Arena Mode, and its state before the changes now being implemented. Launched last year, Arena mode became an instant favorite of players.

The intense and refreshing gameplay breathed a new life into League. The general gameplay took place over multiple rounds, and at launch, it had 4 teams competing against each other. The drafting phase consisted of one ban per player, followed by the player selection with there being no runes or summoner spells to choose from

The game took place in arenas where teams had to fight to death against each other, with each arena having a different landscape and size. This kept things engaging, fresh, and provided unique challenges that tested the team’s adaptability and strategy. With all these changes combined, Arena mode offered simpler, more balanced, and faster-paced gameplay than usual.

What are the changes made to Arena Mode?

Arena mode has been officially announced to return for the third time on May 1st alongside patch 14.9, and with that, Riot Games has announced a few important changes to go along with it. Let's discuss them.

Increase in the number of teams

Previously, Arena mode consisted of four teams of 2 players per game. This has now been changed to eight teams of 2 players. This is the biggest change to this game mode, as this will significantly increase player engagement. More teams also mean that players will face different teams and champions, which can help keep things fresh by preventing a repetition of opponent teams.

Tweaks to reduce match length

One of the goals Riot Games aims to accomplish with Arena mode is not to have an extended match. To implement this, they have also introduced changes to gold rewards, starting health and health loss. Accelerating item progression, increasing early-game vulnerability, and encouraging riskier plays will make sure matches always have a consistent fast pacing.

Addition of prismatic items

Prismatic items have also been added to the game mode, which changes the initial drafting phase of the game. You can purchase an anvil, which, upon use, presents you with three item choices or stat boosts. This massive change will lead to more dynamic gameplay and quicker engagements.

Moreover, it will enhance the need for strategy during matches as teams will have to adapt quickly based on the items they acquire. It will also encourage players to experiment with different item combinations while balancing the complexity by providing players with limited choices.

FAQs

What is Riot aiming for with these changes?

Riot Games producer Eduardo Cortejoso says in a developer blog, “Our hope is that this will go a long way to tackle concerns voiced around the game state getting too stale or repetitive”. Based on this, it’s clear that their intention is to keep things fresh for players, with frequent changes to the game mode preventing a state of fatigue from the fanbase. 

“Even in a scenario where you run into similar teams, they will likely be building different items and choosing different arguments each game, so try your best to figure out any specific game’s current conditions to come out ahead. Players who adapt best will come out ahead, as opposed to those that rely too heavily on a specific strategy!”, says Eduardo. 

Will Arena Mode have more changes?

While it isn't confirmed that Arena Mode will have additional changes the next time it comes around, it likely will. After all, every time the mode has come, it has brought with it a bunch of changes that have borderline changes the mode entirely for players, and this time is no different.